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Evaluation of the influence of tissue parasite density on hematological and phenotypic cellular parameters of circulating leukocytes and splenocytes during ongoing canine visceral leishmaniasis

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Abstract

During Leishmania infection, tissue parasitism at different sites may differ and imply distinct immunopathological patterns during canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). For this reason, we have assessed by flow cytometry the impact of spleen and skin parasite density on the phenotypic profile of splenocytes and circulating leukocytes of 40 Brazilian dogs naturally infected by Leishmania chagasi categorized according to splenic and cutaneous parasite load. Our major statistically significant findings demonstrated that dogs with splenic high parasitism presented a significant decrease in absolute counts of CD5+ T lymphocytes in comparison with dogs presenting splenic medium parasitism. Moreover, a decrease in the absolute number of circulating monocytes was observed as a hallmark of high parasitism. The increased frequency of CD8+ T cells is associated with low splenic parasitism during CVL. Although we did not found any significant differences between the immunophenotypic analysis performed in circulating lymphocytes according to cutaneous parasite load, there were negative correlations between CD5+ and CD8+ T cells and cutaneous parasite density reemphasizes the role of T cell-mediated immune response in resistance mechanisms during ongoing CVL. These results add new insights about the pathogenesis of CVL and may help in the establishment of additional tools for future studies on drugs and vaccine approaches.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brazil (FAPEMIG grant: CBB CBB9202), PAPES III-B (FIOCRUZ/RJ/2002), and CNPq. OAMF, RCO, and ABR are grateful to CNPq for fellowships. The authors wish to express their particular appreciation for the hard work carried out by the kennel staff of the Federal University of Ouro Preto and for their dedication during the execution of this project. All procedures in this study complied with the current laws of Brazil according to the guidelines set by the Brazilian Animal Experimental College (COBEA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    L. L. Guerra, A. Teixeira-Carvalho, R. C. Giunchetti, A. B. Reis & R. Corrêa-Oliveira

  2. Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    A. Teixeira-Carvalho & O. A. Martins-Filho

  3. Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Departamento de Análises Clínicas/Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    A. Teixeira-Carvalho, R. C. Giunchetti & A. B. Reis

  4. Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Universitário Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, CEP 35400 000, Brazil

    A. B. Reis

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  1. L. L. Guerra
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  2. A. Teixeira-Carvalho
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  3. R. C. Giunchetti
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  4. O. A. Martins-Filho
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  5. A. B. Reis
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  6. R. Corrêa-Oliveira
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Correspondence to A. B. Reis.

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Guerra, L.L., Teixeira-Carvalho, A., Giunchetti, R.C. et al. Evaluation of the influence of tissue parasite density on hematological and phenotypic cellular parameters of circulating leukocytes and splenocytes during ongoing canine visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Res 104, 611–622 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-1237-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-1237-4

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